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Fugitive's Battle Moves from Cabin to Courtroom

Fugitive's Battle Moves from Cabin to Courtroom

Fugitive's Battle Moves from Cabin to Courtroom

JOHN K. WILEY

Sep. 02, 1992

https://www.apnews.com/b2fb61f026551aca3328a02d30bc2cb6

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NAPLES, Idaho (AP) _ A confrontation between a white supremacist and U.S. marshals shifted Tuesday to a federal court in Boise from the mountains of northern Idaho, where a deadly shootout led to an 11-day siege.

Randy Weaver, a 44-year-old former Green Beret who fled a federal weapons charge in February 1991, surrendered Monday.

Weaver entered innocent pleas Tuesday to a charge of assault on a federal officer, a 1990 charge that he sold a sawed-off shotgun to an undercover agent in 1989 and a 1991 charge of failure to appear for trial.

More than 100 federal, state and local law officers and National Guardsmen had surrounded Weaver's cabin since an Aug. 21 shootout in which Weaver's 14- year-old son Samuel and Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan were slain.

Weaver's 43-year-old wife, Vicki, was shot to death at the cabin Aug. 22, when Weaver was wounded in the arm and family friend Kevin Harris, 24, was seriously wounded.

In a written statement submitted in court, Weaver accused federal authorities of murdering his wife in retaliation for Degan's death.

Harris, who surrendered Sunday, is charged with murder in Degan's death. He was in serious condition Tuesday at a hospital in Spokane, Wash.

Weaver had been holed up with his family in the rugged Selkirk Mountains for 1 1/2 years, monitored periodically by federal agents. They said they were reluctant to move in for an arrest for fear of a confrontation that could put Weaver's children at risk.

Weaver's daughters - aged 16 years, 10 years and 10 months - were in the care of relatives.

Six deputy U.S. marshals - including Degan - ran into Weaver, his son and Harris during a reconnaissance patrol at the cabin Aug. 21.

Former Green Beret Lt. Col. James ''Bo'' Gritz, who helped negotiate an end to the standoff, said Weaver was persuaded to surrender Monday by a promise of safe transit from the FBI and a letter signed by skinhead supporters that said Weaver's fight was ''in a courtroom, not up on top of that mountain.''

Weaver belongs to the Christian Identity movement, which combines Old Testament and white-supremacist beliefs.

At the arraignment, U.S. Magistrate Mikel Williams ordered Weaver held without bond until a Sept. 10 detention hearing.

Defense lawyer Gerry Spence asked that he and his son, Kent Spence, be appointed to represent Weaver. Williams asked Spence to submit the motion in writing.

In his written statement, Weaver said Spence's decision to take his case influenced his decision to surrender. The Jackson, Wyo., lawyer's clients have included Imelda Marcos and the family of Karen Silkwood.

''I believe that Mr. Spence will see that my rights are protected. If I did not believe that I would still be up there,'' Weaver wrote. ''I have never believed I could get a fair trial in a government court.''

Weaver has said authorities set him up to face the weapons charge because of his personal beliefs.

''I have authorized Mr. Spence to undertake my defense, understanding that he and I see eye-to-eye on very few political and religious issues. As a matter of fact, we are poles apart in our beliefs,'' he wrote. ''But one thing he and I agree on, and that is people ought not be murdered by their own government.

He claimed his wife was intentionally shot.

''Those officers are all trained and skilled in shooting an identifiable target. They are excellent marksmen. They shot her in the head. This was murder, a horrid, premeditated murder. I expect the system to do whatever it can to cover this atrocity, but they know, and I know what I say is true.''

Michael Johnson, U.S. marshal for Idaho, said he had not seen the statement. ''I will say this, the government doesn't retaliate on anything,'' Johnson said.

Mick Mellett, Boundary County coroner, said complete autopsy results from the three bodies wouldn't be available until the investigation was finished. He didn't know when that would be.